Floor care appliance



Nov. 15, 1966 R. s. WATERS ETAL 3,284,837

FLOOR CARE APPLIANCE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 50, 1964 1966 R s. WATERS ETAL 3,284,837

FLOOR CARE APPLIANCE Filed July 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,284,837 FLOOR CARE APPLIANCE Robert S. Waters, Lexington, and John W. Gilliom, Mansfield, Ohio, assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 30, 1964, Ser. No. 386,232 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-410) This invention relates to household appliances in general and more particularly to a new and improved handle for a household appliance.

One type of apparatus herein contemplated is a combination suction cleaner which'is adapted to be used either as a canister cleaner (i.e., employing straight suction) or as an upright cleaner (i.e., employing mechanical agitation combined with suction). The outward appearance of the more recent devices of this type has been fashioned after that of the conventional canister type cleaner. This is because combination cleaners require the high suction power which, because of their design, can be produced by a canister cleaner. Cleaners of this type are provided with a carrying or pick-up handle and a separate upright or propelling handle pivotally attached to the cleaner for manually manipulating the cleaner over the surface to be cleaned, the upright handle being adapted to be removed for facilitating carrying of the cleaner.

The outward appearance of a canister type cleaner is such that a pair of handles disposed at different places on the cleaner housing does not detract from its esthetic appearance, however, to mount a carrying or pick-up handle on a conventionally styled upright cleaner in addition to a propelling handle detract from its appearance. Also, the type of carrying handles used do not lend themselves to facilitating carrying of the cleaner.

Some cleaners of the prior art have been provided with a dual purpose handle which can be utilized to manually propel the cleaner over the surface to be cleaned or to carry it, but they are so constructed that the propelling portion of the handle is in the way when the device is being carried by the pick-up portion, therefore making it awkward to carry the cleaner.

Still other cleaners of the prior art have been provided with handles constructed of a plurality of members, capable of being rigidly held together to serve as an upright or propelling handle or disconnected for facilitating carrying or storing of the cleaner. The means used to connect the members of this type of prior art handle, for example, nuts and bolts, have been found to be unsatisfactory because they do not lend themselves to easy nor quick connecting and disconnecting of the members.

Accordingly, the general object of this invention is to provide a new and improved handle for a household appliance.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a new and improved combination propelling and carrying handle for a household appliance.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved household appliance handle, constructed in sections which are adapted to be rigidly held together for manually propelling the appliance over the surface to be cleaned or disconnected for facilitating carrying or storing of the appliance.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved latch for holding together the sections of a combination propelling and carrying handle for a household appliance.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved combination upright and carrying handle for a household appliance in which the carrying handle is adapted to have the power cord wrapped around it for storage when the upright portion of the handle is removed.

3,284,837 Patented Nov. 15, 196 6 Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the abovecited objects by providing a handle structure comprising a carrying handle pivotally mounted on the cleaner and an extension member adapted to be quickly and easily connected to the carrying handle for converting from a carrying handle to an upright propelling handle or from a canister cleaner to an upright. The carrying handle comprises a steel bail having a plastic handgrip fastened thereto to provide a comfortable hand engaging surface. The extension member comprises a pair of channel-shaped upright elements which are commonly joined to a handgrip at their upper ends while their bottom ends are commonly joined to a channel-shaped cross support. The channel-shaped cross support cooperates with the channelshaped elements to form a substantially U-shaped cavity in which the substantially U-shaped boil member can be telescopically received.

The bail is provided with a cam lever having a plurality of cam surfaces and the extension member with a plurality of cam followers which are adapted to cooperate with the cams of the cam lever to draw the bail and the extension member closely together or force them apart depending on whether the bail and handle are being connected or disconnected.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out in particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a vacuum cleaner incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1, but with part of the upright handle stnucture removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a handle structure illustrating the mounting thereof to the cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of a handle extension member;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, part-1y in section, of a handle structure and latch mechanism in the locked position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, of the handle structure and latch mechanism shown in FIG. 5, but in the unlocked position; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded perspective view of the handle structure and latch mechanism illustrated in FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 designates generally a suction cleaner carried by front wheels 11 and rear wheels 12 only one of each of the wheels being shown. It will be understood that the invention is associated with a vacuum cleaner for the purpose of illustration only. The suction cleaner 10 comprises a housing 13 adapted to have a handle structure 14 pivotally mounted thereto by a pair of rivets 15 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3). It will be understood that a pivotal handle facilitates the manipulation of the cleaner over the surface to be cleaned.

The handle structure 14 comprises a carrying handle 16 (FIG. 2) and an extension member 17 (FIG. 4) which are held together by a latch mechanism generally'indicated at 18 (FIGS. 5 and 6).

The carrying handle (FIGS. 2 and 3) comprises a substantially U-shaped bail member 19, made from any suitable material, for example, steel or the like, and a hand grip 20 made from any suitable material, for example, plastic. The steel bail is provided with a pair of apertures 21 (FIG. 1), only one being shown, for receiv- 3 ing the rivets 13 for pivotally mounting the carrying handle to the cleaner. It will be understood that pivotally mounting the carrying handle to the cleaner facilitates the carrying of the cleaner by the carrying handle.

A cam lever 22 is rotatably attached to the bail 19 (see FIG. 7) through a pivot rivet 23. The lever comprises an L-shaped configuration with a generally rectangular foot portion 24 (FIG. 6) having an offset arm-like segment extending therefrom. The free end of the armlike segment terminates in a flat circular portion having a pair of protrusions or earns 25 (see FIG. 6) extending outwardly from the peripheral edge thereof. A spring washer 26 carried by the rivet 23 interposed between the cam lever and the bail (see FIG. serves to permit the cam lever to move axially on the rivet and at the same time maintain the lever firmly in position.

The extension member 17 (FIGS. 4 and 5 comprises two upright channel-shaped elements 27, made from any suitable material, for example, steel or the like with the channels facing each other. The upper ends of the channel members 27 are commonly joined to a handgrip 28 in such a manner that each ,of said members forms a substantially planar surface with the handgrip 24. The

side walls of the channel members have been double rolled as indicated at 29 (FIGS. 5 and 6) to provide a member that is rigid in construction and free of rough edges. The lower ends of the members 27 being channel-shaped in cross section are adapted to receive the legs of the bail member 19 (see FIGS. 3 and 7).

A plurality of channel-shaped'cross supports 30 are horizontally disposed between the elements 27 (FIG. 4) and are so positioned vertically as to provide optimum stiffness and resiliency required for optimum utilization of the handle. Two of the cross supports are provided with outwardly extending brackets 31 about which a power cord 32 can be wrapped when the cleaner is not in use (see FIG. 1). When the extension member 17 has been removed, the power cord 32 may be wound about the carrying handle 16, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The side walls of the lowermost cross support 30 are provided with opposing cam followers 33 (i.e., slope of one increases as slope of the other decreases) which are adapted to coact in a manner to be discussed below.

The space between the side walls of the lowermost cross support together with the spaces between the side walls of channel-shaped elements 27 (in the area below said cross support) form a substantially U-shaped cavity for receiving the U-shaped bail member 19 (see FIGS. 2, 4 and 7). With the lowermost cross support of the extension member 17 resting on the carrying handle 16, and the cam lever 22 being in the unlocked position (see FIG. 6), the cam followers 33 are substantially coplanar with the cams 25, but are approximately 90 therefrom. By rotating the cam lever counterclockwise to the position illustrated in FIG. 5 the cams engage the cam followers thereby causing the upright extension member to be pulled downwardly until the U-shaped bail member is secured within the U-shaped cavity formed by the lowermost support and the channel elements 27 as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 5. It will be understood that resistance to movement up and down between the upright extension and the carrying handle is accomplished by the cross support being pulled down firmly on the bail member through the locking action of the cam lever with the cam followers. Moreover, resistance to movement between the upright extension member and the bail forward and backward is effected through the telescopic engagement of the bail in the cavity of the extension member.

The side wall to the rear of the lowermost cross support is provided with a cam follower 34 (see particularly FIGS. 4-6) which is adapted to cooperate with the foot 24 of the cam lever 22, as the cam lever is rotated from the locked position (FIG. 5) to the unlocked position (FIG. 6), to lift the upright extension member from the bail member thereby causing it to break loose.

While there has been disclosed what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, modifications thereto will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired, therefore, that the invention be limited to the specific arrangements shown and described and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a floor care appliance, in combination, a substantially U-shaped bail member adapted to be pivotally mounted to the appliance for facilitating carrying thereof, an extension member having a substantially U- shaped portion at one end thereof adapted to telescopically receive said bail member in a first and a second posi tion, means for detachably securing said members when said bail member is in said second position, said securing means comprising a cam lever mounted on one of said members and cam means carried by said other member, said cam lever being adapted upon rotation thereof to exert a force on said cam means thereby causing said members to telescope from said first position to said second position, said cam means comprising a pair of opposed cam followers provided in opposed side walls of said cross support intermediate said channel-shaped elements and said lever comprises a pair of cams disposed between said side walls out of contact with said cam fol- .lowers when said members are in said first position.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein said cam means further comprises a cam follower disposed on said cross support and adapted to be engaged by said cam lever to telescope said members to said first position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,167,740 8/ 1939 Becker.

2,539,087 1/1951 Kramer.

3,203,707 8/1965 Anderson 28047.37 3,204,272 9/ 1965 Greene et .al. 15-410 X ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

1. FOR USE WITH A FLOOR CARE APPLIANCE, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED BAIL MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO THE APPLIANCE FOR FACILITATING CARRYING THEREOF, AN EXTENSION MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY USHAPED PORTION AT ONE END THEREOF ADAPTED TO TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVE SAID BAIL MEMBER IN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION, MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING SAID MEMBERS WHEN SAID BAIL MEMBER IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION, SAID SECURING MEANS COMPRISING A CAM LEVER MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND CAM MEANS CARRIED BY SAID OTHER MEMBER, SAID CAM LEVER BEING ADAPTED UPON ROTATION THEREOF TO EXERT A FORCE ON SAID CAM MEANS THEREBY CAUSING SAID MEMBERS TO TELESCOPE FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO SAID SECOND POSITION, SAID CAM MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSED CAM FOLLOWERS PROVIDED IN OPPOSED SIDE WALLS OF SAID CROSS SUPPORT INTERMEDIATE SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED ELEMENTS AND SAID LEVER COMPRISES A PAIR OF CAMS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID CAM FOLLOWERS WHEN SAID MEMBERS ARE IN SAID FIRST POSITION. 